Apparatus for determining the deviation of well holes and casings



' Aug. 22, 1933. J. D. LAUDERMILK 1,924,071

APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE DEVIATION 0F WELL HoLEs AND cAsINGs FiledOct. 28. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 22, 1933. J. D. LAUDERMILK 1,924,071

APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE DEVIATION OF WELL HOLES AND CASINGS Filed00L-28, 1929 5 sheets-sheet 2 OMM y 6W M btoznmf ug- 22 1933- Jf D.LAUDERMILK 1,924,071

APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE DEVIATION OF WELL HOLES AND CASINGS Filedoct. 28, 1929 3 sheets-sheet 3 Patented Aug. 22, 1933 UNITED sTATEsPATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE DEVATION OF WELL HOLES ANDCAS- Jerome D. Laudermilk, Claremont, Calif., as-

signor of one-half to Mrs.

Los Angeles, Calif.

S. Golson Harrell,

Application October 28, 1929. Serial No. 402,914

4 Claims. (ci. 234-53) measurement may be quite far from its actualdepth. The drilling bit and drilling action may drill a spiral-like holeor may be drilled entirely oi at an angle to the perpendicular.Heretofore there has been no inexpensive rapid means of measuring thedeviation of a well hole from the perpendicular. It is the generalobject of the present invention to provide an apparatus which in asingle descent of a well hole canbe caused to survey the entire wellhole and determine not only the slant or angle of deviation from theperpendicular of the Well hole but which is also capable of determiningthe direction of deviation of each part of the well hole.

More particularly, an object of the present in- 5 vention is to providean apparatus having associated therewith compass and pendulum memberswith electrical indicating means by which, through simultaneous readingsof the compass and pendulum members, the angle of deviation anddirection of deviation of each part of the well hole may be accuratelydetermined by passing the apparatus once down a well hole.

Various further objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the description of a preferred form or example of anapparatus lembodying the invention. For this purpose there is hereafterdescribed, with reference to the accompanying drawings, one form orexample of an apparatus which embodies this invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation mainly in vertical section of the upper portionof the apparatus in position within a well casing.

Figure 2 is an elevation mainly in vertical section of the lower portionof the apparatus in position within a well casing.

Figure 3 is an elevation at right angles to Figure 1 of a' part of theapparatus.

Figure 4 is a section through the line 4 4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the shutter.

Figure 6 is a diagram of the electrical connection of the pendulum.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the shutter and needle of the compass.

Figure 8 is an electrical diagram of wiring of the compass.

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view of the receiver and connection with thetesting apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, 1, indicates a Well casing situated Within awell hole which is intended to be surveyed by the apparatus. The

apparatus includes a pendulum 2 and a compass.

member 3.

4 indicates a casing which is Huid-tight which houses the majoroperating parts of the apparatus. Said casing at its lower end is closedby a plate 5 to which is bolted a guide carrier member 6 carryingguiding rollers 7 rotatably mounted on the ends of arms 8. The oppositeends of the arms 8 are pivoted as indicated at 9, to the guide member 6.Guiding member 6 has a central stem 10 bearing spring members 11engaging the center of the arms 8 for yieldingly urging the arms topivot outwardly and bring their rollers 7 in engagement with the wellcasing. There is alsoA provided ears 12 on the guide member which carryset screws 13 in position to engage the roller carrying arms 8 and limittheir outward pivoting motion.

The upper end o f the casing 4 is closed by a plate 14 which hasupwardly extending cylindrical walls which in turn are closed by theflange plate 15 of an upper guide carrying member 16. The upper guidecarrying member 16 is similar to the lower member, having the rollers17, arms 18, spring-Siand limiting set screws 20. By the constructionthus described, there is provided anti-frictin rollefsurged outwardlyfrom each endof the'vtesting device which function to retain the body ofthe' testing device from frictional contact with the well hole or wellcasing,

The upper guide carrier 16 is hollow and receives a supporting andoperating cable 21 of the apparatus, which cable passes through thechamber provided by the member 14 and is there engaged by a packingforming member 22 which comprises a casing 23 having an anti-frictionroller bearing 24 engaging the bottom plate of the member 14 and whichis provided at its upper end with a packing gland 25 and containspacking as indicated at 26, with the wiping arms 27 held in position bybolts 28. The wiper 27 ex'- tends through the plate of the member 14 andenters into a top member 29 of a rotor casing 30. The top member 29 hasa ball bearing 31 engaging the plate of the member 14. The lower dulumcomprises a end of the rotor is provided with a bearing point 32engaging in its center bearing recesses in the plate 5. By thisconstruction, the rotor casing 30 is free to revolve within the outermajor casing 4.

The rotor 30 is constructed to have a heavy side, preferably byprovision of a lead strip 33 which may have half of the cylinders oftherotor if desired. By the provision of a rotor having a. heavy side, oneside of the rotor is in operation always deiinitely disposed at thelower side of the apparatus whenever there is any deviation of the wellcasing from the perpendicular such as will permit the apparatus assuminga position at an angle to the perpendicular, thereby developing aposition lower side.

'I'he rotor 30 is provided with a central bar 34 pivotally mounting withpendulum 2. The pendulum 2 is provided with a number of selenium cells35 mounted on a disc rigid with the bar 34 and connected with plus andminus mains 36 and 37, forming part of the supporting and operatingcable 21, as indicated in' Figure 6 of the drawings, i. e. between eachof the selenium cells there is a section of resistance wire 38 so thatthe total amount of resistance between the plus and minus mains 36 and37 is dependent upon which, if any, of the selenium cells 35 is reeivinglight. The swinging part of the penshutter plate 39 having a narrow slit40 in its upper center, which shutter disc 39 is weighted, as indicatedat 41, so that the slit 40 is always in a dennite position relative tothe vertical. A casing 42 is provided on the opposite side of theshutter 39` from the selenium cells 35 and includes an incandescent bulb43 connected with lines formthe operating supporting cable. By thisconstruction it will be seen that in operation, whenever the apparatusdeviates from the perpendicular, the shutter af the pendulum member 40will move over the series of selenium cells 35, the extent of motiondepending upon the angle of deviation with the result that by energizingone of the selenium cells, the resistance connecting mains 36 and 37varies in proportion to said deviation.

The compass 3 is mounted in the lower end oi the rotor 30 and includes acompass case 44 which provides a gimbal support for a compass face 45which is held always horizontal in the apparatus on account of thegimbal mounting. The compass face 45 has an axle 46 rotatably mounting acompass needle member 47 which is in the form of anopaque disc providedwith an opening 48. The compass face 45 is provided withcircumferentially spaced apart selenium cells 50 connected by resistanceturns 51 and wired with plus and minus mains 52 and 53, as indicated invFigure 8. Thus, the amount of resistance between lead 52 and 53 inoperation varies, depending upon which, if any, of the selenium cells isenergized by light. The upper part of the compass casing 44 houses anincandescent bulb 55 shining upon the shutter 47 so as to illuminate theparticular seleniumcell 50 uncovered by the slot 48 in the compass.

In order to prevent the pendulum member 2 from vibrating in descent andto act as a damper for the same, I have provided a brake member pivotedto the rotor casing as at 61 and provided with a weight 62 which willnormally hold -the member stationary during descent.

- The brake member 60 is pivoted to the rotor casing 30 so that it isapplied to the pendulum 2 up until the apparatus passes a portion of thewell hole and casing at a deviation from the perpendicular.

At such time the rotor casing 30, due to its. heavy side, pivots tobring the pivot point of the brake 61 at a lower position and the weight62 then releases its pressure against the pendulum 2, thereby permittingthe pendulum to commence to operate.

In operation it will be apparent that any desired means may be utilizedfor measuring during the descent of the apparatus the resistance betweenmains 36 and 37 controlled by the pendulum 2 and the resistance betweenmains 52 and 53 controlled by the compass 3. The measurement of theseresistances, of course, should proceed simultaneously with the recordingof the length of the supporting and operating cable 21 which has beenplaced out in lowering the apparatus. In Figure 9 there is indicated oneapparatus in diagrammatic form by which the operation of the pendulumand compass may be recorded automatically with the operation of thetesting apparatus. The figure also discloses a full ratus. In theligure, 66 indicates a source of electricity connected by a line 67 tothe incandescent bulbs 43 and 55 of the pendulum and with the source 66.The source with the positive lead 36 connected to the selenium cells 35of the pendulum and which are in return lead 37 connects the magnet ofthe galvanometer 70, the rotor 71 of which is provided mirror 72reflecting light bulb 73.

The positive main 52 connects with the selenium cells 50 o the compasswhich in turn connect with the negative line 53 which leads to the coils74 of the magnet 75 of the galvanometer. The galvanometer is providedwith a rotor 76 having a semispherical reflecting mirror 77 refleetinglight from an incandescent bulb 78. 79 and 80 indicate lines connectingthe bulbs 73 and 77 with the source of electricity 66. Above thegalvanometers 70 and 75 there is mounted a moving photographic recordingpaper 81 which receives light from the semispherical mirrors 72 and 77of the galvanometers. By moving this photographic recording paper, at arate proportional to the descent of the testing apparatus, there will beautomatically recorded the deviation of the well hole from the Vertical,the direction of deviation of the proper coordination relative to thedepth of the testing apparatus.

While the particular form of apparatus herein described is well adaptedfor carrying out the objects of the invention, it is to be understoodthat various modifications and changes may be made in the details ofconstruction and various substitutions of equivalents made and that allsuch changes, modifications and substitution of equivalents come Withinthe scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

`1. An apparatus for testing deviation of a well hole which comprises, abody member, an instrument carriage mounted by said body member tofreely swivel. about the axis ol.' the body, a pendulum carried by saidinstrument carriage and adapted `to swing in accordance with the angleofdeviation from the perpendicular, means for.

wiring-diagram of the appatransmitting to the surface of the Well theposition of said pendulum, said means including a plurality ofresistances and a means in the pendulum for cutting out part of theresistance in accordance with the position of said pendulum.

2. An apparatus for recording the deviation of a well hole or casingwhich comprises, a body,

a carrier swivelled to said body and weighted so as to possess anormally lower side, a pendulum carried thereby, and means fortransmitting to the surface of the well the position of said pendulum,said means including resistances connecting selenium cells, a shutterconnected with said pendulum, and a source of light.

3. An apparatus for recording the deviation from the perpendicular of awell hole or casing which comprises, a body, an instrument carrierrotatably mounted by the body and provided with a weighted side, aninstrument carried by said carrier, a plurality of selenium cellsconmounted by the body to revolve axially, said inf strument carrierbeing weighted to maintain one side lowermost when the body deviatesfrom the perpendicular, and a gimbal mounted compass carried by saidbody, electrical resistances associated with said compass, and means forcutting out said resistances in accordance with the positions of saidcompass, said electrical conduits being connected to said resistances.

JEROME D. LAUDERMILK.

